Naga Bandha

Naga Bandha in the Sanskrit language literally means “bound in snakes,” or even “made from cobras.” Nagas represent protection and beauty they are not only serpents but mythic beings. They protect the meditating Buddha, the sleeping Vishnu; they surround and ornament the Great God Shiva whether he is dancing, battling demons, or focused upon the singularity of his own inner nature. They symbolize our inner powers and anxieties, our hopes and fears, our needs and deepest desires. To be “bound” in the nagas is to give permission to the feelings that surround our dreams and all of the unknown fragments of self. And yet without any doubt, we are being enrapt in meanings that make their way from the depths to the surface. Our nagas here are bound up in wood and bone, antlers and metal, they surround each other in a whirlwind of fragments made of all manner of found objects.